Braves: Jo-Jo Reyes pitched the best game of his young career on Wednesday against the Brewers. The 23-year-old left-hander struck out nine and allowed two hits in seven innings, but was dealt the loss. Reyes walked J.J. Hardy on four straight pitches to start the eighth inning, and when reliever Blaine Boyer allowed a two-out RBI triple to Richie Weeks two batters later, Reyes' stellar outing was erased. Reyes had been bothered by a blister on the index finger on his left hand, but it was healed by Wednesday's start.

Orioles: Guthrie lost another close game in his last outing and is currently mired in a string of hard luck. The right-hander has allowed three earned runs or less in nine of his 12 starts, but Baltimore has scored a total of eight runs in his six losses. Nine of Guthrie's 12 starts have been decided by two runs or less, but he's 2-4 with three no-decisions in those games.

Phillies: Kendrick has been giving the Phillies chances to win -- the team has won seven of his last eight starts. In his most recent start, on May 27 against Colorado, Kendrick lasted 7 1/3 innings -- his longest outing of 2008. He gave up two runs while striking out five and walking only one. In two career starts against the Marlins, Kendrick is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA.

Twins: Despite walking away with a no-decision in his third start against the Royals this season, Hernandez found trouble against Kansas City. He allowed eight runs (six earned) on 13 hits over six-plus innings. The 13 hits were the most that Hernandez has allowed since May 30, 2001 against Arizona while pitching for the Giants. It was also the most hits allowed by a Twins starter this season. Hernandez will see if he can recover against the Yankees. He's 4-0 with a 4.23 ERA in six starts at the Metrodome this year.

Brewers: Suppan is coming off of his best performance of the season as he allowed just two hits to the Braves on Wednesday over eight scoreless innings. Suppan recorded his sixth quality start of the season and the Brewers offense woke up just in time to give him his third win. While he walked a season-high five batters, Suppan was able to avoid trouble by striking out a season-high seven and riding two key double plays by the Brewers defense. Suppan's last start against Arizona came was a loss on Aug. 22 of last season in which he gave up three runs on seven hits over seven innings.

Rangers: In just two starts this season, Mathis has had a case of the Jekyll and Hydes. In his first start, on May 20 at Minnesota, he coughed up nine runs (six earned), which were his first runs allowed of the season, in just 2 1/3 innings, on eight hits and four walks. Mathis rebounded nicely though in his last start on May 25 at Cleveland, holding the Indians to just one run on seven hits and three walks in six innings. Mathis has depended on his defense so far this season, to say the least. In 11 1/3 innings pitched, he has only four strikeouts.

Cardinals: Wainwright throws his second consecutive start at home, a place he has relished pitching this year. In six home starts, the Cardinals' ace has won four. Most recently, Wainwright turned in an eight-inning, eight-strikeout gem against the Astros on May 28. With two impressive starts against the Astros in the bag this year -- the other a complete game victory -- Wainwright will try to win his third start in a row against the Pirates.

Padres: Baek, who was acquired last week from the Seattle Mariners, makes his starting debut for the Padres as a late fill-in for left-hander Shawn Estes, who fractured his left thumb after falling in the dugout tunnel at AT&T; Park in San Francisco. As for Baek, who has started and pitched in relief in the past for the Mariners, he struck out the side in relief on Friday, needing just 12 pitches to do so. Manager Bud Black said he's capable of throwing upwards of 80 pitches.

A's: In his sixth start of the season, his fourth since being reinstated from the disabled list May 11, Harden completed seven innings for just the second time this year, scattering five hits with no walks and five strikeouts while allowing just one run. He was part of a pitching dual against Toronto's Roy Halladay, though, and watched the A's suffer a 2-1 loss. It was his third career start in which he did not surrender a walk. Harden did not face Detroit last year, but is 3-1 with a 3.70 ERA in his career against the Tigers.

Mariners For the second time this season, the veteran lefty was skipped one turn in the rotation and will face his former team instead of the Tigers, who roughed him up in Detroit during the most recent road trip. But Washburn bounced back well in his next start, at Yankee Stadium, holding the Yankees to two runs over six innings. He kept the ball down and away from the middle of the plate. Only three of the 18 outs he recorded were made by a Mariners outfielder.

Dodgers: Derek Lowe turned in his best start of the year, one of the best in several years and was in position for his first win in nearly five weeks with seven scoreless innings against the Cubs. He scattered four hits and had the pressure on throughout, as the Dodgers' offense gave him only one run support. He has lost his last four decisions to the Rockies.

Giants: Sanchez ended a streak of five consecutive winless starts last Wednesday in an 11-3 triumph at Arizona. He blanked the Diamondbacks for five innings, then left the game after surrendering two runs in the sixth. Sanchez has been relying on a sinking fastball to neutralize hitters. It's a pitch he said he was told to abandon as a Minor Leaguer in 2004, but he resumed using it earlier this season.